DISTRIBUTION:

Meroleucoides zunacensis (wingspan: males: 53mm; females: 62mm// forewing length: males: 29-30mm; females: 35mm) flies in
Ecuador: Zunac Village, Sangay NP, Morona Santiago at elevations around 2650-3100m.

This species is mostly dark brown with orangey-yellow cell marks, especially pronounced on the forewing, and same colour fringe bars, spaced by dark brown bars on all wings. Diffuse darker grey median bands seem to be absent on this species.

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:

Specimens have been taken in February, April, June. There are probably additional flight months. Larval hosts are unknown.

ECLOSION, SCENTING AND MATING:

Females extend a scent gland from the tip of the abdomen, and the night-flying males pick up and track the airbourne pheromone plume with their well-developed antennae.

Meroleucoides zunacensis AT female, Zunac Village, Sangay NP, Morona Santiago, Ecuador,
63mm, Arpril 13, 2010, 2650m, on my home computer only;
extensive digital repair to forewing outer margins, possible distortion. Bill Oehlke.

EGGS, LARVAE, COCOONS AND PUPAE:

Eggs are deposited in clusters on hostplant foliage.

Meroleucoides zunacensis larvae are probably highly gregarious and probably have the urticating spines typical of larvae from the Subfamily Hemileucinae.

Larval Food Plants

It is hoped that this alphabetical listing followed by the common name of the foodplant will prove useful. The list is not exhaustive. Experimenting with closely related foodplants is worthwhile.

This species name, zunacensis, is indicative of a specimen type local in Zunac Village, Sangay National Park, Morona Santiago, Ecuador.

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